"This is a first for me, that’s for sure," Neil told the Tennessean. "I think it was somebody’s crazy idea that turned into reality."

Neil was being a little disingenuous with that statement -- it was the Crue's manager who pitched the idea to Big Machine Records, the label that's releasing 'Country Music Tribute to Motley Crue' later this year -- but he seems totally sincere about his utter lack of background knowledge about the genre, as well as his slow coming around to the concept's possibilities.

"I was like, ‘Eh, I don’t know. Let me think about this one for a minute,’" Neil admitted. "The more I thought about it, the cooler it got, especially after Carrie Underwood did ‘Home Sweet Home,’ and that was so good. I’m thinking to myself, ‘How cool would it be to hear these other acts’ renditions of the songs?’"

One unforeseen side effect: Much like older actors who take on roles in superhero films to make their kids or grandkids happy, Neil found that 'Country Music Tribute to Motley Crue' made him a little cooler to his girlfriend. "It’s fun because my girlfriend is a country girl," he continued. “She’s a barrel rider in the rodeo. When I showed her the names, she was like, ‘Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God.’ I’m like, ‘Tell me, tell me. Fill me in.’"

And then, of course, there's the whole notion of expanding the band's audience. "I’m an old classic rock and roll guy," Neil explained. "The really cool thing is I think a lot of people have heard of the name Motley Crue, but don’t put the music to the face. I think it’s going to bring a lot of fans that aren’t Motley fans in. It will make them go, ‘Oh yeah, I’ve heard that song before.’"